Beyond Darkness
by Ryu-Hogosha
Summary: The sequel to Royal Hell finds the RE gang in Japan to try to uncover the reason for a series of Umbrella disappearances. Along the way, they encounter an old friend who's out for vengeance...
1. Chapter 1

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RESIDENT EVIL- Beyond Darkness

By Ryu-Hogosha

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Chapter One

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Chris Redfield picked his way through a mess of wrecked lab equipment. Mixtures of various fragrances flooded his nose, and he wrinkled it in disgust, reminding himself not to inhale too much. After pulling aside a wrecked metal cabinet and an equally-wrecked lab-chair, he uncovered a small safe. The door was slightly open, presumably due to the blast. He nudged it open completely with the toe of his boot and found what he was after. It was a large envelope, sealed with a string. He picked it up and tucked it inside his vest, turning back toward the door. He stepped over the tattered remains of an Umbrella guard caught in the explosion that destroyed the lab. The guard's face was burned beyond recognition, and his clothes (or what was left of them,) were in shreds. His exposed hands were reduced to bone, as the acid had eaten away at his skin after death. Chris shook his head. Most of Umbrella's employees deserved what deaths they got, but others didn't. This particular guard was lucky that he died before one of Umbrella's "side-experiments" got to him.

Not wasting any more time, Chris walked through the doorway and hurried as fast as he could down the labyrinthine corridors of the facility. He soon came to the exit, and inhaled deeply. It felt wonderful to breathe fresh air again. The stagnant air of the lab he had just left was beginning to make him want to gag. He crouched down and broke into a fast sprint for a wide-open field located a good distance from the lab. Looking back, he produced a small object from his pocket and flipped a switch, triggering a large wad of C4 that he had strapped to the facility's main computer terminal early in his mission. Upon destruction or the event of a biohazardous outbreak, the computer was rigged to initiate the Auto-Destruct failsafe that came standard with so many Umbrella labs. Even on the surface, Chris felt the faint shockwaves caused by the detonation several floors below him. Satisfied, he threw down the remote-control and crushed it beneath the heel of his boot. He sat down on a large rock that happened to be nearby, and he sighed.

It had been about six months since he and several other S.T.A.R.S. team members were sent to a deserted mansion in the middle of a mountain forest to uncover the truth behind a string of grisly murders that had taken place around that area. Of the many officers to go in, only four came out. Besides him, the other three were: Jill Valentine, Barry Burton, and Rebecca Chambers, the team's medic. Brad "Chickenheart" Vickers, so-named because of his tendency to buckle under pressure, was the helicopter pilot for Alpha Team. He took off the moment another member, Joseph Frost, the Alpha Team's vehicle expert, was slaughtered by one of many zombie-dogs that lurked within the forest, forcing the remaining Alphas to seek refuge inside the mansion. Little did they know, Brad was flying circles over the mansion immediately after he took off. He was also the one who managed to heave a rocket-launcher out of the 'chopper to help Chris kill the monster code-named "Tyrant" after it had turned against and killed the very man who had set it free: Albert Wesker, captain of Alpha Team, and employee of Umbrella.

Now, Chris was in the middle of a field about 50 miles northwest of Kyoto, Japan. He recieved information about an Umbrella laboratory in southern Japan, and headed there immediately with the help of Barry and Jill. His goal was to recover an envelope that contained vital information about Umbrella's research; something that the corporation would _kill_ for to keep a secret. It was that very envelope which he now held in his hand. He looked at it, curious about Umbrella's _truly_ dirty little secrets, and his hand slowly reached for the string. His fingers had barely begun to unwrap it, when the sound of a helicopter's approach filled the air. He quickly stuffed the envelope back into his vest, and turned around. There, coming toward him from the south, was a Japanese police helicopter, piloted by none other than Barry Burton. Chris waved him down, and the 'chopper slowed to a halt, hovering in the air a few yards from Chris. The power of the rotor-blades caused the wild grasses to bend and sway like the waves of the ocean.

The machine landed and shut down as Barry climbed out of the cockpit. He was big: not fat, but muscular. He could easily bench-press two-hundred-and-ten pounds. Chris had worked out with Barry before, and was easily put to shame by the older man. Barry scratched his reddish-gray beard thoughtfully as he walked up to Chris. "Did you get it?" the former asked. Chris nodded. "Right here," he said, pulling the envelope out of his vest and handing it to Barry, who took it in his large hands. "Jill's waiting for us back in Kyoto," Barry said. "She's probably being hit-on by every guy that sees her right about now!" he added with a laugh.

Chris offered a chuckle. He couldn't blame them. Jill was quite attractive. She had shoulder-length brown hair, slender legs, and a figure that would make just about anybody's jaw hit the ground. He liked her, too, and she knew it. He had thought of asking her out numerous times, but he never could bring himself to actually do it. _Nice job, Chris,_ he would think to himself. _You can take out zombies and bio-engineered nightmares without breaking a sweat, but you try and get the nerve to ask a girl out for a lousy date and you turn to mush._

Chris felt a sudden chill run up his spine. Taking a look back at the ruins of the Umbrella lab, he felt truly sorry for those who didn't know about the Corporation's true agenda. Umbrella was the type of company that thought it was above the law. Chris, Jill and Barry were some of the select few that went against Umbrella and its atrocities. Leon Kennedy, a rookie cop from the Raccoon PD, and Chris' younger sister, Claire, were also giving support in the only way they knew how: by fighting back.

Claire and Leon had sent word to the Alphas about the labs beneath London and about the young man they had met the week before. It was too bad about him, though Claire and Leon were able to survive due to Jenner's sacrifice. Chris wasn't surprised that Wesker probably had a hand in the young man's demise, but even though Claire and Leon swear that nobody made it out of the facility after them, Chris felt that Wesker still lived, slave to none.

His thoughts were interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Barry's face filled with concern. "You all right, Chris?" Barry asked. "Don't tell me you're beginning to feel _sorry_ for Umbrella." Chris shook his head slowly. "No, I'm fine," he answered. "Let's return the KPD's helicopter. They're probably beginning to wonder if they should have charged us an hourly rate." Barry smiled and headed back toward the 'chopper, with Chris following close behind.

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Jill smiled at the waiter as he poured her another cup of coffee. Drinking the caffeine-laden beverage at a small diner was all she could do to keep from going crazy while waiting for Chris and Barry to return. They had left about two hours prior after hearing about a small lab located a little ways outside of town. She'd had about two sandwiches and two cups of coffee since then. She looked to her left. A few tables over, a group of teenage guys kept sneaking glances at her. She knew they were checking her out, so she pretended not to notice. But there was one young man not too far from them sitting alone at a table in the corner. His hair was jet-black, and his facial features were partially hidden by shadows. From what Jill _could_ see, an eye-patch covered his left eye, and his right eye looked back at her occasionally. A scar adorned his right cheek just below it, stretching all the way down to his chin. It wasn't ghastly, like most scars came, but it could be seen clearly even from her vantage point.

Jill watched as the young man finished his drink, then paid the bill. As he stood up, Jill could see him clearly. He wore a denim jacket over what looked like a black tank-top. His jeans were tucked into boots which glistened in the light of the diner. He smiled a little, then nodded a greeting in her direction. She waved back nervously, acknowledging him. Her eyes followed him as he passed through the doors and left the diner. Moments later, Chris and Barry entered and headed in her direction. She smiled at them and moved her hair behind one ear before taking another sip of coffee. Chris and Barry pulled two seats over to her table before sitting down. "I got it," Chris said softly. Jill nodded. "Maybe now we can finaly put Umb--" She cut herself off when she looked out the window and saw the same young man staring at her. "What is it?" Barry asked, trying to follow her gaze. "I saw this guy in here a a few minutes before you two came back. He kept staring at me for some reason. It's like he knew me from somewhere...."

"What about him?" Chris asked. Jill pointed toward the window of the diner. "He's doing it again," she said. Chris, being the one closest to the door, got up and walked toward it. He stuck his head out and looked around, but didn't see anybody. He shrugged and returned to the table. "I didn't see anyone," he said. Jill looked at the window again. The young man was gone. She sat back in her seat, confused, and _very_ creeped out. Was he stalking her for some reason, or did he think she was somebody else? She wasn't sure, but she shrugged it off and turned her attention to Chris and Barry as the three talked softly about what to do next.


	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter Two

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Leon rested his head against the back of his seat. Sweat had begun to trickle down the back of his neck and onto his white t-shirt. He reached out and clicked on the air-conditioner, and almost immediately, cold air began to blow into his face. He turned on the radio and heard a voice belting out lyrics in a type of rock-and-roll beat. He didn't understand Japanese, but he found that he enjoyed it all the same. He bobbed his head to the beat absently, until a loud tapping sounded on the passenger-side window. He sat up and saw Claire's face smiling at him through the window. He leaned over and pulled up the lock, letting Claire into the Jeep. She was carrying a large bag full of bread and meat, along with other sandwich-essentials. "Jeez," Leon said. "Think you got enough?" Claire offered a smile. "Nah. Chris is a big-eater, and I think that Barry can put away quite a few as well."

Leon rolled his eyes. He had met Chris only once, when he had sent word to him that Claire was being held in the Umbrella prison on Rockfort Island. He didn't look like a "big-eater," though, but then again you never really could tell about people at first-glance. Leon turned his attention to the present, and shifted gears to allow the Jeep to pull out of the parking space. His hand clutched the stick and moved according to the speed that was was required. Leon liked Jeeps. They were rugged, durable, and good for off-roading. He had one when he first arrived in Raccoon City, but was forced to abandon it when he was nearly surrounded by the walking dead. He had been travelling with Claire for the past several months, doing both reconnaisance missions and taking more direct action against Umbrella. His eyes looked back-and-forth across the road ahead of them. "Which way?" he asked.

Claire pointed. "Take a left up here. They're probably waiting for us." The others had sent word to Claire and Leon about a rumored Umbrella lab in Japan, and said to meet up in a motel near the edge of Kyoto. Leon turned where his passenger had directed him, and heard her say, "There it is."

Leon slowed down, and turned into the motel parking lot. They didn't see Barry's SUV, but Leon pulled into an empty space just the same. He turned off the car and stepped out, helping Claire with the bag. "Which room did they say it was?" Leon asked. Claire pulled a small piece of paper out of her pocket and unfolded it. "213," she answered. Leon looked at the doors that stretched off in either direction in front of them. There were no actual numbers, just a bunch of characters which he _guessed_ signified the number of each room. "Um..." he started.

Her college offered several different foreign language courses, and she decided to take Japanese. Ever since her trip to Raccoon City, she hadn't gone back. Because of that, Claire knew a _little_ Japanese, but not as much as she should, so she began to study the doors. "_Hyaku_ is one-hundred..._nihyaku_ is two-hundred...and thirteen is...._juusan_. So _nihyaku-juusan_ is 213." Within moments, she found it, and tried the knob. It was locked, so she tapped on the door with her knuckles. There was no answer. "Well, now what?" Leon said loudly. Claire looked at her watch. It was 4:40 in their time-zone, so she figured that the others were just running late. She sat down on the curb next to the Jeep and Leon followed suit. "I guess we wait," the young woman replied.

Not far away, against a small shed adjacent to the pool, a figure leaned casually. _Claire Redfield... we meet again._ A smile slowly spread across the figure's face. "I guess I'll have to re-introduce myself," he said to no one. "She probably wouldn't even recognize me anymore."

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"Ten says they're already waiting for us," Jill said. Neither Chris or Barry bothered to take her up on her bet, for they thought the same thing. Claire and Leon were most likely bored out of their minds waiting. Barry turned left at a nearly-empty intersection, and pulled into the motel parking lot. He parked quickly and the three of them piled out. Claire stood up and hugged her brother as soon as he was within reach, nearly knocking him over. "Well, I missed you too!" Chris said with a laugh. He looked past his sister at the young man that had just gotten to his feet. "Leon Kennedy," the young man said, extending his hand. Chris took the hand and shook it. 

Jill and Barry stepped up, introducing themselves in turn. "We're sorry to have kept you guys waiting," Barry said, digging into his pockets. Leon shrugged. "It's no problem. We just got here ourselves, actually."

The larger man produced a small key and walked over to the door. He had some trouble getting it into the lock, but he finally did it, and unlocked the door. The five of them entered he room. It wasn't much more than a typical setup: two beds, card-table, a TV, and off on the far end of the room, was a large mirror set up with two sinks just to the right of the bathroom. Jill headed for the bathroom as Claire flopped onto the bed closest to the door, sighing loudly. _At least the beds are soft,_ she thought to herself. Leon pulled out a chair from underneath the table and sat down, relaxing his tired body. Chris did likewise, but at the same time, he pulled out a deck of well-used cards. "Five-card draw?" he asked Leon. The younger man nodded, and a smirk spread across his face. "Sure," he replied.

Chris dealt the cards, and announced the wilds. "Acey-ducey," he said. Leon looked at his hand, and frowned inwardly. He had a three, a five, a four, and two sevens. In short, his hand sucked. Chris, however, had a fair hand: a king, a jack, a six, an eight, a nine, and an ace. Leon looked over his cards once more, then turned them face-down and slid them to Chris. "Five new ones," he said softly. While Chris dealt Leon a new hand, Barry busied himself by surfing channels on the TV, hoping to find _something_ in a language he could understand. Naturally, he was unsuccessful. He grunted and clicked off the set, just as Leon threw his cards down to the table and said loudly, "Royal Flush! All diamonds!"

Jill stuck her head out the bathroom door, wondering what all the commotion was about. Water cascaded down her shoulders from her hair. "What's going on?" she asked. "Chris just got whomped in Draw Poker," Barry said with a laugh. Jill smiled, and went back to her shower.

Claire rolled onto her side, facing the window of the room. Her eyes fluttered as exhaustion began to take her. She began to drift into a light sleep, her body seeming to sink deeper into the mattress, and was almost completely asleep when a car alarm blared throughout the motel. "That's my SUV!" Barry said loudly, practically flying toward the door. He yanked it open, and reached for his revolver at the same time, which was tucked inside his vest. "Damn!" he said aloud, looking out the doorway. Claire sprang from the bed and looked over Barry's massive shoulder. The SUV was fine, except for the shattered passenger-side window. Chris squeezed out the doorway and hurried over to the scene. He stuck his head inside the window, and pulled it back slowly, his expression grim. Jill, in the meantime, had heard the alarm and thrown on a towel, and was now standing near the doorway. "What happened?" she asked.

"The envelope is gone," was Chris' reply.


	3. Chapter 3

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Chapter Three

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Jill retreated to the bathroom to get dressed as the others sat awhile in thought. She figured that she had run out of time for a shower, and that any further relaxation she might have gotten from it was pretty-far gone. She stepped out of the bathroom wearing a navy blue top, a pair of jeans, and sneakers. She dried her hair with a towel as she sat down next to Claire at the foot of one bed. "So what do we do now?" Leon asked. Barry stood against the door with his arms crossed, his massive frame nearly hiding the doorway from view. "There's nothing we _can_ do at the moment," he said. "Except maybe relocate. Now that Umbrella knows we're here, the best choice we can make would be to leave." Claire wasn't so sure. "What if it wasn't Umbrella?" she asked. "It could have been someone just looking for something to steal."

"Not likely," Chris answered. "The odds that someone looking for a cheap-thrill would just _happen_ to steal an envelope with confidential Umbrella documents inside are slim-to-none. It would have to be Umbrella's doing." Hearing this, Leon stood up and stretched. "Let's move out, then. If Umbrella knows where we are, then we should do like Barry said and leave." He walked to the door and opened it. "What the...?!" he started. He knelt down to examine something on the ground. "What's up?" Claire asked, looking down over Leon's shoulder. "It's the envelope!" the young man said aloud. Chris and Barry immediately hurried over. "There's a note attatched," he continued. He pulled the small sticky-note from the envelope and read it:

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Thought you might want this back.

-A Friend

"'A friend?'" Chris asked. "What's that supposed to mean?" Jill added. Barry shook his head in puzzlement, and stepped backward, allowing Leon to shut the door. The younger man stood up, quickly opening the envelope. "Anything missing?" Jill asked. Leon shook his head. "Nope. Looks like it's all here." He closed the envelope and handed it to Chris, who stuffed it inside a small duffel bag, only to take it out again. He opened it and fished out a map, something not originally contained in the envelope. "I thought it was thicker than I remembered..." he said, quickly spreading the paper over the second bed. It was a map of Japan, dotted with three large squares. The others hurried over, wondering what was going on. Chris pointed at one spot and looked at Barry. "Isn't this where we found the envelope?" Chris asked. Barry nodded. "Yeah, it is. So I'm guessing that the other marks might be other Umbrella labs."

Now it was Claire's turn to speak. "Then let's get moving," she said.

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A young man pressed himself against the back-side of a dumpster, peering around to watch the door shut, then turned his gaze toward a body lying still on the ground in front of him. It was an Umbrella grunt, someone hired to do all the dirty work for the suits within the corporation. This particular individual attempted to break into a red SUV and steal a rather large document from within. The young man simply waited until the grunt came running behind the dumpster, and had nonchalantly stuck a foot out, causing the other man to trip and land sprawled in the dirt. The grunt got up and attempted to pull a gun on the young man, but the latter was already in the process of sending a knee hard into the grunt's abdomen before taking the man's weapon and hitting him at the base of the skull, knocking him unconscious. The young man stooped down, picked up the envelope, and placed it in front of the door before hiding in his present location. A grin spread across his face as he began to think about the possibility of meeting Claire once again. It excited him, though he didn't doubt that she would be upset at not telling her about his disappearance. He shrugged. He would have time to work out the apologies later.

From behind him, he heard the door open once again. He faced the dumpster and leaped upward, quietly catching the rim and pulling himself up enough so that he could see over the top. The five occupants had gathered outside of their apartment, and were talking softly, or so it seemed. They were actually whispering fairly quietly amongst themselves. _Not even the footsteps of a mouse can escape my hearing..._the youth thought to himself, which was true. The young man could hear everything that was being said.

"We'll hit the one south of here first," the one called Chris said. "What if the workers manage to get off a distress signal to the other lab?" came a deep voice. "Then we'll have to split up," was the response. "But who's gonna go where?" Leon asked. "There's five of us, and two different labs."

"Two of us will stay behind to make sure we don't get any unwanted company while we're away. That job will go to Barry and Jill," Chris continued. "Leon and I will head to the eastern lab, but that would mean Claire would have to go alone..."

"I can do it," Claire said. Chris seemed apprehensive. "I don't think--" he began. "Chris!" Claire said loudly, a hint of slight anger in her voice. "I can take care of myself! I'm not a child anymore." To this, Jill raised her eyebrows. "She's right, Chris. She's proven herself on more than one occasion. Just let her go." Chris sighed. "Fine, but you're taking as much firepower as you can carry. Barry, set her up."

Nodding, Barry reached into his SUV and pulled out a duffel bag from beneath the rear seat. He opened it, and handed Claire a Glock 17, several magazines, as well as a shoulder-holster complete with numerous pouches in which she could store her extra ammo. Then he handed Chris a few clips for his Beretta. Finally, he came to Leon. "It took me a while to find these, kid, so don't go wastin' 'em," Barry said, digging into the duffel. He came up with six clips for Leon's Desert Eagle, which were taken with a laugh. "Don't worry, Barry," said the younger man. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Barry grinned, and tossed the empty duffel into the rear of the SUV. "Claire's target is about a mile to the south. the other one is approximately seventy-five miles east of here," Chris said. Looking to Claire, he strapped on his gear. "Take care of yourself."

"I will," came her reply. The group wished each other luck, and dispersed. Barry and Jill returned to the motel room, while Chris and Leon climbed into the Jeep. The vehicle pulled away shortly afterward, leaving Claire standing alone in the motel parking lot.

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	4. Chapter 4

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Chapter Four

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Claire sighed inwardly. This was going to be tough...nearly as tough as the Umbrella HQ in Paris. _That_ little stint had gotten her landed face-first on Rockfort Island with a crazy psychopath, who happened to be the grandson of one of Umbrella's chief founders. _Mental instability must run in the family...._ she thought to herself. Steeling her nerves, she began heading into the thick growth that was the forest which neighbored the motel. She had to jump over a few dead branches, but other than that, there were very few obstacles in her path. After one such jump, as soon as she hit the ground, there was a loud _snap_. Claire froze, listening. There was nothing else to be heard. She resumed her journey, but with more caution. At one point she stopped, and turned to look in the direction she'd come. Trees had obstructed her view of the motel, but the small patch of blue that marked the location of the pool told her that she was a fair distance away. She turned around again and took a single step before she felt something small and thin press across her leg. Something like a--

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TWANG!!

--_snare..._ Claire thought dismally as a large net drew up around her and pulled her into the trees. She was caught in a fishing net, the kind that was meant to hold some of the larger fish. The ropes were rather thick, about maybe two inches. She felt a slight burning sensation in her right arm. She looked, and saw a bright-red stripe on her shoulder. The ropes had burned her as the net pulled her up. She thought of using her gun to shoot herself free, but the noise might alert someone she didn't want to be found by. "Great..." she mumbled.

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Chris and Leon parked the Jeep a half-mile away from their destination and decided to hoof it from there. They crept in slowly, keeping low and behind the cover of the tall grasses that swayed about them. "So what's the plan?" Leon asked quietly enough so that only Chris could hear. "We go in, and blow shit up. Simple as that," came the response. Leon rolled his eyes, and Chris chuckled, saying, "We'll attempt to secure the security room. That's where their radio and electrical equipment most likely is."

"But what about cameras?" Leon said. Chris fell into deep thought. "I forgot about those," he admitted. "As to what we do about them? Well, we just have to keep a sharp eye out and not get caught." Leon shook his head. "I know you're trying to lighten the situation, but how about being a _little_ more serious?" the younger man asked. Chris didn't answer, instead he drew himself up onto his knees and quickly stuck his head up from the tall-grass, looking quickly back and forth much in the way of a deer that knew it was being hunted. Satisfied, he dropped his head back down. "All clear," he said. "The compound is just up ahead. Stay low, and try not to make the grasses move too much." Leon nodded, and did a slow crawl through the grass, heading in the direction of the lab.

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Claire sat, held within the confines of the net. Digging through her gear, she looked for something that might help her escape or otherwise keep her occupied until help arrived. She turned up nothing, and she cursed under her breath at her carelessness. She leaned her head back against the ropes and thought for a while, until the snapping of fallen twigs demanded her attention. She looked out through the netting and peered through the trees. Her current wardrobe consisted mainly of dark colors, which stood out quite well amidst her autumn surroundings. She quietly drew her pistol, taking aim in the general direction from which the sound was coming. A figure stepped into view, dressed in a mechanic's jumpsuit. He looked American, and the logo stitched on the right shoulder nearly stopped Claire's heart cold. It was an Umbrella employee. His hair was of a ruddy-brown color, and his hands were stained with grease. A keycard hung from his belt. The man reached into the front pocket of his outfit and produced a pack of cigarettes, which he opened. Taking out the last of its contents, the mechanic tossed the box aside and flicked open a lighter. He scratched his upper ribcage before lighting the cigarette and pocketing the lighter. Claire quietly shoved her pistol into her jeans as best she could, concealing much of it from view. She pulled her shirt over what wouldn't fit. The gun felt cool against her skin, which sent a shiver throughout her body. As for getting down, she remembered that, back when she was still a freshman in high school, she had gone to an acting class, and did rather well in it. Gathering her courage, she put on her best damsel-in-distress look, and called out, "Hey!" The mechanic, obviously surprised, looked up at her. "What are you doing up there?" he asked in a gruff voice. "My dog ran into these woods a little while ago, and I came to look for him. I got caught in this net when I lost track of where he went," she said. _How pathetic can you get?_ she asked herself. _That was the _lamest_ thing you could possibly have said._

It seemed to work, however. The mechanic looked around and saw the rope which led to the pulley above the net. He knelt down, and untied the rope, taking hold of it and lowering Claire to the ground. Producing a pocket-knife from his jumpsuit, he began to cut away at a few of the ropes at the top, freeing her. Claire stood up, and dusted herself off, smiling at the mechanic. "Thanks," she said stepping past him. Without warning, she drew her pistol and hit the man on the back of the head. The mechanic crumpled like a rag-doll, and Claire went through his pockets. Finding nothing but the lighter, she stuck it in her back pocket and took the keycard from his belt. With a bit of effort, she was able to drag him into the net and hoist him back into the tree, noticing a small cut on the back of his neck. Making sure the net was high enough, she tied it off and continued on, this time looking for a place where the mechanic might have come from. Not too far away, she saw a small shed in the middle of a clearing. She crept up to it, and saw that the door was slightly ajar, so she took a peek. Inside was a spiral staircase leading down. She held her pistol at the ready, then descended into the darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

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Chapter Five

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Chris peeked through a small clump of tall grass at the facility. It wasn't very large. It only had two floors, but Chris knew better. There wasn't a guard to be seen. "This is too easy...." he said. He threw a sideways-grin at Leon, who smiled back. "You ready?" the younger man asked. Chris nodded, and began to move toward the building at a hurried crawl, with Leon right behind him. At Chris' signal, Leon jumped up and ran toward the door, readying his magnum. Chris reached the younger man's side and tried the door. It swung open noiselessly, much to their surprise. Leon went in first, followed by Chris. An eerie stillness surrounded them. "I have a bad feeling about this," Leon whispered, and Chris could only nod in agreement. The two of them moved through what looked to be the lobby. There were several coffee-tables arranged in a neat line in front of a row of couches along the walls. Several magazines lay scattered across their surfaces. A dark spot beside the front desk was barely visible against the plush carpeting beneath their feet. Leon knelt to examine it, while Chris moved around to the other side of the desk and started checking the drawers. He found nothing of interest, so he came back around and crouched next to Leon. "What'd you find?" the older man asked. "I don't know," Leon answered. He gently pressed his fingers onto the spot and held them to his nose. "It smells like...." He took a couple whiffs, then looked at his fingers in disgust. "Coffee."

"Someone must have left in an awfully big hurry," Chris commented. Leon nodded his agreement. "Yeah. Let's just hope that it's not because of what I _think_ it's because of...." he said, knowing more-and-more that his hopes were dwindling by the moment. This was an Umbrella facility. Accidents happened all the time, especially as far as experiments were concerned. Looking back at Chris, Leon realized that the older man was thinking the same thing. The two readied their weapons, and continued deeper into the building.

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Claire froze when she heard shuffling footsteps coming her way. She pressed herself into a shadowed corner, readying her weapon. A uniformed guard rounded the corner, grumbling to himself as he favored his left leg. He seemed to have a sort of rash, because he kept scratching his left side and rubbing his eyes. When he had passed, Claire crept out of hiding and walked into a small corridor. More footsteps caused the hair on the back of her neck to stiffen. The owner groaned, and Claire took a quick peek. A security guard clutched his stomach and leaned against the wall, facing away from her. With a heave, he vomited onto the floor. Blood was mixed in with it. She turned away, covering her mouth to avoid making her own mess. When Claire dared to look again, the guard began to change before her very eyes. His skin grew pale and flaky, and his eyes turned milky-white. When the convulsions ceased, the guard stood hunched, facing the wall, until he turned. Claire stepped back. The once-human guard had seen her, and it was hungry.

==============

Leon and Chris stuck to the walls as they made their way toward the inner levels of the facility, weapons at the ready. Leon held his magnum next to his ear as he stopped next to a set of doors. On Chris' signal, he pushed the doors open, and stepped inside, sweeping his aim across the room. It was what appeared to be a dining hall. It was empty, although various food items were strewn about the tables. He motioned to Chris, who entered behind him. The two of them walked through the room, taking care to avoid the puddles created by overturned drinks. "The food's only about a couple of hours old," Chris noted. "Good thing, too," said Leon. "How's that?" asked the other man. Leon grinned. "We won't have to deal with smelling rotten sandwiches for a little while yet."

Chris started to chuckle, but stopped when he spotted a small object on the floor. Crouching down, he picked it up and looked at it. "What'd you find?" asked Leon. "A key," was Chris' response. It was rather plain in design: a simple loop at the top with two prongs at the end. "Looks pretty old," added Leon. Chris nodded, pocketing the key. If there was one thing he'd learned that night in the Spencer Mansion, it was that keys, no matter the type, always came in handy at some point or another. There was another door at the back of the hall, most likely another entrance. Chris stood up and walked toward it. He placed his hand on the latch and pulled. The door swung open, and the two men found themselves staring down a dark hallway, not a source of light to be found. Nodding once to each other, they raised their weapons and walked deeper into the facility.

===============

The guard lurched forward, arms outstretched. Claire stumbled backward, and tripped over her own feet. She scrambled away, her gaze glued to its rotting face. There came a wash of fetid air across the back of her neck. Turning, she found another guard reaching for her, its decaying fingers locking onto her shoulders. She shook the creature away and tried to draw her weapon. She raised it in the direction of the closest, but her hands were too busy shaking to undo the safety. The weapon slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor. She fumbled for it, but the creatures had reached her. They pressed her to the floor, their jaws gaping hungrily. "No!" she cried.

__

BLAM! KA-CHAK! BLAM!!

The first zombie caught fire, and slumped to the floor. The head of the second guard burst. Claire sat, her eyes unblinking for the briefest of instances. She finally turned her head to look at the shooter. All she saw was a silhouette, until it stepped into the light. It was a young man, armed with a pump-action shotgun set with a pistol-grip. His hair was jet black, and a leather patch covered his left eye. He wore a denim vest, beneath which was a black tank-top tucked into a pair of jeans. "You okay, Claire?" he asked in a light Southern accent. 

Claire froze. How did he know her name? Within an instant, her fingers wrapped around the handle of her gun, unlocking the safety as she took aim at the stranger's chest. "Who are you?" Her aim traveled to his face. "How do you know who I am?" The stranger took a step back, raising his hands. "Whoa, hold on," his voice started to change, becoming that of someone Claire knew, but shouldn't be alive. "Don't tell me you've forgotten me already. It's only been, what, two weeks?!" By this time, his voice had now fully changed. _It can't be..._ Claire said to herself. It couldn't be, it _shouldn't_ be....but it was.

"_Jenner!!_" Claire cried in disbelief. She threw herself forward, wrapping him in a hug, and Jenner returned it. After a moment, Claire took a step back from him. "Where have you been? What happened to you? Why--" she gazed him up and down-- "do you look like that?" Jenner exhaled in a sigh. "Sorry about that. After I left you and Leon, I managed to get to the control room and throw the magic switch. I was almost out when two Reapers came at me. I wasn't able to kill them, but I was able to hinder them enough so that I had a chance to get onto the elevator. I was just stepping out of the elevator when the system blew early. I got thrown into a wall and caught a chuck of concrete in the face, which took out my eye. A shard of shrapnel is what gave me the scar. I lost consciousness after that."

Claire gazed at his single eye, the brown-colored orb staring back at her warmly. "What happened to your eyes? Weren't they, well…different?" Jenner nodded his head. "Yeah. After I woke up, I found myself pinned by debris. I managed to free myself, and limp toward town. I had my hair dyed, got a hold of some colored contacts, and hid my accent. The way I see it, the best person to fight an international conglomerate is a dead one." Claire smiled at him. "Just don't die for real, and we'll be okay," she said.

Jenner cocked his head in the direction from which he'd come. "Let's go. We've got a biohazard to clean up."


End file.
